Superdoc
by CBloom2
Summary: Kind of spoilery/AU for Saturday nights episode (14/2) from a small promo I saw and the synopsis I read about the episode. Ethan as perhaps you've never seen him before!


**This has come from seeing a tiny snippet of Saturdays (14/2) episode and the synopsis that I read for the episode, so possible spoilers, but this is my take on it (which will be nothing like what will happen).**

**As usual I don't own the characters that you recognise.**

**Superdoc!**

Holby ED was it's usual, busy self. Patients came and went. Reception filled up, then emptied as the hard working staff pulled out all the stops to get them seen as quickly as possible.

But all was not well in the department. Connie Beauchamp was on the warpath! She had been since the inspection, which the majority of the staff thought had gone really well considering they were invaded by a computer virus that wiped out their systems and a group of clowns. However, Connie wasn't happy...particularly with a certain doctor, with whom she had had stern words with and had told him, in no uncertain terms, that she wanted him out of her department.

Dr Caleb Knight was having the day from hell. Even though his sensible half admitted that he had brought it on himself, going against protocol and just being generally stupid, his other half was enraged at being told that if he couldn't abide by what Connie said, then he needed to look for another hospital to work in. He couldn't even contemplate such a decision now. Not now he was building bridges with his brother after so much time apart.

He sat in the staff room nursing a cup of coffee that had long since gone cold, mulling over his behaviour and his options.

His train of thought was interuppted by the staff room door opening and his brother walking in, obviously deep in thought.

"Hey what's up with you?" he asked.

He waited for an answer, which didn't seem to be forthcoming. The frown on his brother's face became more pronounced, "Ethan!"

The younger man jumped and looked at Cal in surprise, "Huh?"

Cal couldn't help but chuckle at the surprised expression, "I said, what's up with you? You look miles away."

Ethan sighed as he sunk down onto the sofa next to him, "Honey has gone..."

"Gone where? Have you scared her off already?" Cal couldn't help teasing.

"What? No! At least, I don't think so...no her grandmother is ill and she needed to stay with her..." he looked downcast.

"She'll be back soon Ethan and you know what they say about absence..."

Ethan smiled ruefully, "Anyway what are you doing in here? I hear you did a great job at that RTA."

"Hmmm"

"You saved both lives Cal, that's nothing to be sneezed at."

"Pity Connie doesn't feel that way...she wants me to resign..."

"What? Resign? Why?" Ethan was shocked.

"She wasn't happy about me using my initiative and going out to that crash plus my little escapade during the inspection..."

"Well, yes, that was a little stupid - and I'm sorry that I wasn't very convincing."

"It wasn't your fault, I shouldn't have gone...but she just..."

"You've got it bad haven't you?" Ethan chuckled.

Cal smiled as he nodded his head.

"You're not going to resign are you?" Ethan asked, suddenly worried that his brother might actually be considering it.

Cal shrugged his shoulders, "I might not have much of a choice..."

"No you can't - you're a great doctor, a little unorthodox at times, but great none the less. Patients and staff alike all like you and..." Cal glanced at his brother as he faltered, "Well, I've kind of got used to having you around again," he finished quickly.

"Thanks Eth - but I don't think that Connie feels that way I'm afraid."

"Well then, she needs putting straight!" Ethan declared as he jumped to his feet and stormed out of the room, leaving a confused brother in his wake.

Ethan Hardy was angry. In fact, he wasn't just angry, he was seething. How could Connie even contemplate trying to get rid of his brother. Yes, he was the biggest pain in the neck known to man, he sometimes did the most stupid things, he was selfish, self centred and all the other adjectives you could use to describe someone, but he was Cal and he was one of the best doctors Ethan had ever known. He marched towards Connie's office, ignoring the surprised stares from Lofty and Robyn and his brother calling his name.

He knocked loudly on the door and this time, totally against his normal character, he walked in before being asked to.

Connie glanced up, surprise clearly evident on her face, "Dr Hardy? To what do I owe this interupption?"

"Why have you asked Cal to resign?" He blurted out before he thought to much about it.

"You really have to ask?" She threw back at him as she rose from her seat and pushed her way past him and grabbed a file from reception.

"I am asking!" Silence fell on the department because nobody had ever seen Ethan answer anyone back before, particularly Connie.

"Well let me see," Connie looked as though she was thinking, "There's leaving the department during his shift when we were having the inspection - the taking off to a RTA without clearing it through me first - not to mention all the idiotic and inappropriate flirting with patients and staff alike...need I go on?"

"You forget about the fact that he is a great doctor, who has saved countless lives, including the victims of the crash today..."

"Oh, what's this? You've suddenly had a change of heart? Six months ago you couldn't stand the sight of him and you were trying to get rid of him yourself - don't deny it," she threw back into his face.

Ethan, although feeling decidedly less confident than he had earlier, stood his ground, "Yes you're right, that's exactly how I felt. But then I saw his work - hell he even saved my life - he always goes the extra mile. He's a fine doctor and it quite frankly, would be a travesty if you made him leave!"

By now, almost everyone, staff and patients alike, were in total silence watching the scene unfold. Most of the staff just stared in awe at the young doctor who never said anything to anybody, who was now standing up for a colleague...his brother.

Connie smiled menacingly, "A travesty you say? He doesn't follow rules or protocol - he takes off when he wants - he doesn't respect anything or anybody..."

"He works just as hard as anyone else - he's saved countless lives - he's there for patients, he makes time to talk to them..."

"This department does not need him!" Connie insisted as she looked around her trying to guage the reactions of those around her.

"Mrs Beauchamp, it's not secret that I couldn't bear the sight of him when he first arrived here, brother or not, but I will tell you one thing, this department is a better place for him working here. That is all I've got to say on the matter..." He spun round and began to walk towards a cubicle to treat a patient.

"Dr Hardy," Connie called. The younger man stopped in his tracks, "If I was to say to you that I wouldn't ask Dr Knight for his resignation if you gave me yours, what would you say to that?"

A gasp rippled around the ED not just from the staff, but patients too. Cal, having heard about the stand off from Lofty, took a step towards his brother to tell him to stop being so stupid.

Ethan took a deep breath and looked Connie straight in the eye, "My resignation will be on your desk in the morning...you need Cal here!"

With that, he walked up to his patient and drew the curtain around them both.

A ripple of applause broke out through the department as Connie looked round and threw the file down on the desk and marched into her office.

Cal stood at the reception desk in shock. This wasn't supposed to happen. His brother was not supposed to throw his career away for him.

Dr Keogh, who had been watching the exchange with his usual passive expression on his face, stood up next to where Cal was standing, "Well it seems that your brother does have some balls after all."

Cal looked at him in shock, then he sought out Lofty, "What just happened?" he gasped.

"Your brother just stood up for you," the young nurse informed him, patting him on the arm.

"Who'd have thought it? Ethan standing up to the ice queen," Robyn commented.

"And ruining his career..." Lily added for good measure.

Cal began to make his way towards his brother, "Dr Knight!" The 'ice queen' summoned.

A few hours later, Ethan had finished is shift and was currently on his second whiskey shot, although his hands were shaking so much that he had spilt most of the first one. He downed it in one gulp and motioned for another one, "This one's on me - and set up one for his brother who will be here any moment..."

Ethan nearly fell of the stool when he saw Connie next to him. But this Connie did not seem anything like the Connie with whom he had had words with.

"Mrs Beauchamp...I...er...thank you. I meant what I said earlier, although I'm sorry that I turned it into some sort of shouting match, that wasn't very professional on my part. I suppose some of my brother has rubbed off on me a little..."

Connie smiled, "I guess that if you live with someone, you're bound to pick up some of their traits...I can only hope that Cal will pick up some of yours."

She took a deep breath, "Look Ethan, I was angry earlier. The inspection came about because of the court case that nearly went ahead, and with everything that happened on that day...well...let's say I wanted someone else to blame apart from me - but truth is, it was all down to me. What you said earlier was true, Cal is a great doctor and he has all the makings to become a brilliant doctor and I'm sorry I tried to use him as a scapegoat. I have spoken to him and told him that I want him to stay with us, but he's on a six month probation - any more leaving without permission etc will not be tolerated. And as for you young man," she couldn't help but smile at the worried look on the young doctor's face, "What you did today took guts, even if I didn't like it. I knew there was some fire deep inside you Ethan. You are loyal, trustworthy and you too are an asset to the department, so I do not want to see a letter on my desk tomorrow - in fact you carry on the way you are doing and things could get a lot better for you Ethan. See you tomorrow bright and early," she smiled as she paid for the drinks and took her leave.

Not two minutes after Connie left, did Cal wander in. He spotted his brother nursing a whiskey shot and made his way over, "There's one for you," Ethan told him, "From Connie."

Cal picked his up and turned to his brother, noticing the tremor in his hands, "You alright?" he asked.

Ethan downed the shot, nodding his head, "Yes I believe I am."

"Thanks for what you said today Ethan, I mean it - it was beyond...well beyone anything I desereved."

"Just told it as I saw it big brother," Ethan chuckled, as he was now starting to feel a little tipsy, "So six months probation...you told Taylor yet?"

Cal sighed deeply, "Not yet, but hey, at least we've still got the flat..." he laughed as Ethan groaned.

Suddenly the doors flew open and in came the rest of the staff, "Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No it's superdoc! Don't mess with Ethan if you know what's good for you!" Max supplied at the top of his voice as everyone broke into peals of laughter, "Drinks are on me!" Ethan called, whatever he said next was drowned out by cheers and laughter.

Cal watched proudly as his little brother was surrounded by their friends and colleagues and he vowed to never let him down again...

**So that was it. It sounded better in my head! I'll post it anyway, but please don't be horrible about it - it's all for fun anyway.**

**Til next time...**


End file.
